


Poe Dameron and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

by BatuuPrincess



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Indiana Jones AU, Inspired by Indiana Jones, Nazis, Poe as Indy, Rey as Marion, They're the bad guys, as they should be, genre typical violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23949475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess
Summary: Legendary archaeologist Poe Dameron is approached by the Army with an offer he can't refuse. Go on a search for the missing Ark of the Covenant and keep it out of the Nazis' hands. But in order to do that, he must find an old flame, Rey Skywalker, who holds the key piece to the puzzle. When he finds her in a hole in the wall bar in Nepal, Poe gets a whole lot more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 61
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have an Indiana Jones AU! I blame quarantine and discord enablers. And the costume person on Rise of Skywalker, if we're being perfectly honest. They knew what they were doing.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Poe paced in front of his class, the lecture hall silent in the afternoon sun. Even with the windows open, it was stifling in the classroom, and he couldn’t help but tug at his collar. The tie felt extra restrictive after being out in the field for so long. 

What he wouldn’t give to be back out there instead of in this airless classroom. It was quite unfortunate that the whole teaching thing was a stipulation of his tenure here and his work with the museum. And since Marshall College paid the bills, he played by the rules. 

Too bad none of his students were listening.

Heads resting on their hands, most stared at him a little moony eyed, pencils never meeting paper. Though most Archaeology students were male, his classes skewed overwhelmingly female, and just so happened to be the most heavily attended at the college, thank you very much. That very popularity gave him some leeway with the administration for his little side trips.

He turned to the blackboard, wincing as he brought the chalk up to write NEOLITHIC in all caps. While he loved being in the field, he could have done without all the boobie traps and the running and boulder and almost dying in that temple. Not to mention the bumpy getaway ride with Jock. Jock Lindsey was one of the best pilots out there, but that was the last time Poe was letting someone else fly.

And to add insult to injury, he didn’t even end up with the idol. That coward Terex stole it right out from under him. 

Ah, but stewing over it wouldn’t bring the idol back. Terex would get what was coming to him. Poe was sure about it. And he had bigger fish to fry, like this lecture.

He adjusted his glasses. “So let’s get back to the site. Turkdean Barrow, near Hazelton…”

Poe prattled on, describing the condition of the site and the rumored bounty within. At one point, he swore a young lady in the front row had painted “Love” and “You” onto her eyelids, but his eyes must have been deceiving him. It may have been 1936, but the kids couldn’t be quite that modern. Right?

He continued with his lecture, only stumbling slightly when the head of his department walked in. What the hell was Snap doing here? But he recovered quickly enough, and before he knew it the bell to end class was ringing.

“Any questions, then?” Of course, no one spoke up. “No? Okay, that’s it for the day, then. Don’t forget, chapters four and five for next time. And office hours are Tuesday this week, not Wednesday!” But the kids were already filing out, piling his desk with the work he’d have to grade tonight. It really never ended. 

Snap waited until the last student had filed out to approach. “I had it, Snap. I had it in my hand.” Poe said, leaning over his desk. 

Snap shook his head. “Let me guess, Terex?”

Temmin “Snap” Wexley was a few years older than Poe and the head of the Archaeology department at Marshall. He was a stout man, taller and wider than Poe, and was always dressed impeccably despite his size. An old family friend, he might be another reason Poe was given so much leeway here. 

“You wanna hear about it?”

“Not in the least, Poe. I’m sure everything you do for the museum adheres to the International Treaty for the Protection of Antiquities, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Listen Snap, I can get it. I’ve got it all figured out. There’s only one place you can sell something like that. Marrakech. I just need $2000…”

Snap put up a hand. “I brought some people to see you.”

But Poe wasn’t listening, not as he dug out the few pieces he was able to grab at the temple before everything went sideways. “Look at these, these are good pieces.”

“Yes, yes, these are fine pieces. And I’m sure the museum will purchase them as usual, no questions asked…”

“Gotta be enough to get me to Marrakech--”

Snap finally stopped his babbling. “Poe, the people I brought are important, and they’re waiting.”

“What people?”

His friend shook his head, a rueful smile playing across his lips. “Army Intelligence.” He started toward the door, Poe grabbing his maps and his bag and the piles of papers to grade and following behind. “They knew you were coming back before I did. And nobody will tell me what they want with you.”

“Well then what do I want to see them for?” asked Poe, a slight whine in his voice. All thoughts were consumed by the idol and how he could get his hands on it. Whatever these Army people wanted, it couldn’t be good. “What am I, in trouble?”

“How about you see for yourself,” answered Snap, following him into his next lecture hall.

Where two men were waiting for them. 

“Dr. Poe Dameron, we’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“Have you?” shot back Poe.

Snap gave him an exasperated look.

“Yeah, professor of archaeology, expert on the occult, and, uh, how do we put this delicately? Obtainer of rare antiquities.”

“That’s one way of saying it.” added Poe, too sarcastic by half. Snap looked positively apoplectic. “Why don’t you guys have a seat? You’ll be more comfortable,” he added, remembering his manners. 

Now it was the other man’s turn to talk. “You’re a man of many talents. Now, you studied under Professor Skywalker at the University of Chicago.”

Well this couldn’t be going anywhere good. “Yes, I did.”

“And you have no idea of his present whereabouts?”

Really not good. They never asked for whereabouts for anything good. “Just rumors really.” And he honestly hoped it stayed that way. Not that he’d say that out loud. “Somewhere in Asia? I, uh, honestly haven’t spoken to him for five years. We were friends, but we had a bit of a falling out, I’m afraid.” He tried desperately not to think of the reason for that, but bright hazel eyes danced across his vision anyway, lit by candle light and growing ever closer…

Right. Not thinking about it.

“Now, Dr. Dameron, you must understand that all of this is strictly confidential.”

Poe’s jaw went slack as the two men described a fantastic tale. 

The Nazis, it seemed, and Hitler specifically, had a bit of a thing about the rare and occult. Specifically religious artifacts. Much like the life’s work of one Luke Skywalker.

An intercepted communique mentioned not only Tanis, but the Staff of Ra and Luke. That could only mean one thing: the Nazis were after the Ark.

It was the Army men’s turn to go slack jawed as Poe gave a little impromptu history lesson on the Ark of the Covenant and its mysterious resting place. Broken tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Pharaoh, Shishak, who was rumored to have taken the Ark to the city of Tanis. A year-long sandstorm that wiped the city from the face of the Earth. 

Spies and German communiques. Hitler and pharaohs. Tanis and the Ark.

And Luke Skywalker’s name in the middle of it all.

The heavier of the two men leaned back in his chair. “Frankly, we’re a little suspicious of this Luke Skywalker. It’s not every day that an American is mentioned in a Nazi secret communique.”

Snap scoffed. “That’s a load of rubbish. Skywalker’s no Nazi.”

“Well, then what do they want him for?” asked the other man. He seemed more reasonable than his heavier counterpart.

“Obviously, they’re looking for the headpiece to the Staff of Ra.” He looked from one confused face to the other. Well, at least it was obvious to him. “And they think Skywalker’s got it.”

“What exactly is the headpiece to the Staff of…”

“Ra. The Staff of Ra,” he said, going into full lecture mode again. 

They sat as he described the height (unknown), the shape (a sun with a crystal in the center), and how to use it (take it to a special room and let the sun shine through the crystal, pointing out a place on the miniature map of the city where the Ark was kept).

“So this thing will point out the Ark of the Covenant?” The thinner of the Army men asked. “What does it look like?”

Poe held up a finger, immediately digging through his bag. Maps, more maps, bullwhip - whoops, that shouldn’t be in there - there it was, the book he was looking for. A behemoth of a text, leather bound and probably 10 pounds. He dropped it onto the table with a thud, fingering through the pages until he found the one he was looking for.

“That’s it.” He pointed to the page.

The Army men leaned over to look at the picture.

And immediately their faces fell.

It was a beautiful and detailed illustration of the Ark, a group of four wielding it above a crowd below. Anyone in the range of the Ark writhed in pain, thrown to the ground from light issuing from the chest.

One of the men looked at Poe. “And what’s this supposed to be?” 

Poe followed his finger to the beams issuing from the opened Ark.

“Oh, you know. Lightning, fire, the power of God. The usual suspects,” he said, turning away from the manuscript.

The heavier man was speaking. “I’m starting to see why Hitler’s interested in this.”

“Well, the bible speaks of the Ark leveling mountains, and laying waste to entire regions,” said Poe, his own mind racing a mile a minute. Had they really found it? Buried and hidden after all this time? “An Army that carries the Ark before it would be unstoppable.”

The two Army men exchanged a meaningful look.

Poe was at home that night when the doorbell rang.

Checking the window, he let Snap in immediately. 

“You did it, didn’t you?” he asked, already seeing the answer on his friend’s face.

“They want you to go after it.”

Poe let out a (mostly) dignified whoop.

Snap waved him off. “They want you to get the Ark before the Nazi’s do, and they’re prepared to pay handsomely.”

“And the museum gets it when we’re finished.”

“Of course.”

At that Poe let out another whoop, heading over to his drink cabinet. He added a healthy pour of whiskey to two glasses before bringing them over to Snap. 

“The Ark of the Covenant,” he said, clinking his glass to Snap’s. “This represents everything we got into archaeology for in the first place.”

“Gotta say, Poe, I’m really rather envious. Five years ago, I probably would have gone after the thing myself. But with Kare and the kids…”

“I know, I know, old man,” joked Poe, though he felt a little twinge in his chest. Snap wasn’t that much older than him, after all. It was just… there was no one at home waiting for Poe.

He shook off the feeling almost as soon as he acknowledged it. There was a damn good reason for that.

His mind turned back to the task at hand. “I’ve got to locate Luke,” he said, pulling his old, beaten-up suitcase from the closet. He tossed in a couple shirts, his leather jacket, the old trusty bullwhip. “I’m pretty sure I know where to start.”

He ran a finger over the leather jacket, letting the memories of how he got it, and with whom, wash over him. “Do you think she’s still with him?” he asked so softly he wasn’t even sure Snap heard.

“I think that for once, Rey Skywalker might be the least of your problems.” Snap paused, letting that sink in before he raised his glass to his lips. “So what are you going to do?”

Good question. Going to find Luke Skywalker, and possibly Rey Skywalker, again was certainly not in the plan. He’d put all that behind him. Really. But this was the Ark of the Covenant they were talking about. The kind of stuff most archaeologists dreamed about. Hell, the kind of stuff he dreamed about. There was no way he could put that all aside just because of one failed romance with the possible love of his life.

Poe snapped the suitcase shut. “I think I’m gonna call Pan Am.”

Nepal. Why’d it have to be Nepal?

He’d been in the air for days when he finally set down in Nepal, disheveled and aching and probably a little pungent, dragging his body to a cart for another three-hour trip that left him at some tiny boarding house in the middle of nowhere. Patan.

A quick and thankfully hot shower later, and he was back in the game, replacing the old, stodgy professor garb with something much more breathable. Dark, practical pants. The off-white shirt with pockets over either breast. He slid the jacket on, relishing the scent of old, well-lived in leather. Clipped the whip to his belt. All that was left was the hat.

He took it out of the case, brushing off a phantom bit of dust before donning it with a flourish nobody was there to see. That was more like it.

The Sky wasn’t much to look at. Nestled in the middle of snow covered mountains, it was a hole in the wall bar in a hole in wall town. Last stop before the mountains took over. But at least it was warm. 

Poe entered the bar in a burst of wind and snow, keeping his head down and himself to the shadows. It was crowded for being in the middle of nowhere, all activity centered around a single table. 

He ordered a whiskey from the person behind the bar. The only person besides himself not watching what appeared to be a drinking contest at the main table. 

He glanced around, trying not to look like he was doing it. She could be anywhere. Or nowhere. It wasn’t a given that she’d be in the bar that night. Then he’d come back the next night and the one after. She had to show up at her own bar eventually.

But over the years, Poe had learned to trust his gut, and his gut was telling him that tonight was the night. So what if the very thought of seeing her again made his heart pick up. He downed the whiskey in one right as cheer erupted from the table. Poe looked over.

Oh, Christ.

A bull of a man took a shot of something clear and potent - judging by the gasps of the audience - his face screwing up in pain as he swallowed it down. He gave a wobble, but had enough presence of mind to turn the shot glass over and bang it onto the table. Money changed hands.

And sitting across from him was a beautiful but slender woman, her dark hair a braid that kept it out of her face. Poe’s heart thundered in his chest. Rey. It was Rey.

She proceeded to lift a glass to those perfect, bowed lips, downing the liquid within with no little effort. A wince twisted that pretty face. As it went down, her eyes closed, looking for all the world like she might chuck up her dinner. If she’d eaten any in the first place. Bills traded back and forth as Rey looked down for the count. But these fools obviously didn’t know the woman as well as Poe did. The Rey he knew could drink a man three times her size under the table and still be sober enough to dance. She was playing them. Probably for a load of cash. 

Rey put up a hand, shouting something in a language not even Poe knew. Ever dramatic, she made a show of turning over the glass, slamming it down on the table just as her opponent had. She wasn’t even pretending to be particularly drunk. 

It was the man’s turn, and he picked up his glass, not so much taking the shot as sipping it down. Poe recognized the look on his face a second before he tilted, tipping over and straight out of his chair onto the floor.

The crowd went wild around them. 

Rey, ever the astute business woman - or hustler, depending on who you spoke to - collected the money off the table before the natives got restless. She shouted instructions to the crowd, apparently a dismissal of sorts, as they immediately started to file out of the bar and into the storm outside, dragging her opponent behind them.

Even the bartender hustled out, leaving Poe in the shadows and Rey with her back to him as she ran both hands through her tied back hair. Rey tipped a bit as she picked up a couple of shot glasses, off balance. Maybe she was a little drunker than he thought.

“Hello, Rey,” he said, not wanting to hide his presence any longer. They were the only two people in the bar, after all.

Rey turned, obviously startled, her hazel eyes wide and dark in the dim bar. Without warning, she launched the shot glass in either hand toward the floor, the tinkle of breaking glass filling the space.

Ok, so maybe she wasn’t happy to see him.

But Poe couldn’t deny that he was happy to see her. In fact, he positively drank her in - the shine of the lamps on her brown hair, the sparkling hazel of her eyes, the soft curves of her cheeks. 

The look of shock was quickly replaced with a smile, Rey giving a little laugh as she walked toward him, dusting off her hands. They were good hands, fingers long and nimble, always good for fixing an engine or gingerly digging out a long buried relic or even dancing across his heated skin...

“Poe Dameron.” She still said his name like a caress. Her hands went to her hips. “I always knew you’d come walking back through my door. Never doubted it.”

Poe smiled, his heart soaring. This was going far better than he’d been expecting.

Now, she stood directly in front of him, those eyes sparkling thanks to the roaring fire next to them. “So what brings you to Nepal?”

Oh god, her voice was like a song. A siren song. He’d never been able to resist her, even when they fought like cats and dogs.

He never saw it coming. 

One minute, she was smiling at him as he explained, “I need one of the pieces your father found.” And the next her fist was making contact with his face. 

His head snapped back. That was his girl, alright. Swing first, think later. He always knew she had a mean right hook.

“Five years!” she was shouting at him, all pretense of friendship dropped. He, of all people, should have known better. “Five years without a peep, and then you come walking into my bar like nothing happened?” She paused, her voice cracking on the next words. “You left me.”

His heart gave a shudder at the words. It was always her worst fear, a leftover from the time before Luke adopted her. More than anything on this earth, she hated being left behind.

“I never meant to hurt you, you know that.” He couldn’t stand to see her anger turned to him, especially when it was so deserved. 

But Rey, being Rey, never let him get away with any of his usual bull. “Never meant to hurt me?” she scoffed, turning from him. “You left me with nothing more than a letter and my memories. Took off like a thief in the night. You knew what you were doing was wrong or you would have told me to my face.”

“I have enemies, Rey. And they would have used you against me,” he said, every word of it true. He’d been terrified those final days, he and Luke deciding it would be best if they all parted ways. “I had to make a clean break. To keep you safe.”

“I’ve heard that one before.” Rey gave a dramatic roll of her eyes, turning around to start cleaning up the shot glasses scattered all over the bar. “I learned to hate you in the last five years. It took a while, but I did it.” She turned to face him, hands on her hips. “Now, get out.”

“Listen, I did what I did. I’m not proud of it, and you don’t have to be happy about it, but I think we can help each other here.” He would never tell her that the whole thing had been Luke’s idea. The note. The sneaking away in the night. He didn’t need to come between her and her father any more than he already had.

“I don’t want your help.” She went back to piling glasses on her tray.

There was that stubbornness he remembered so well. “Well I need yours. I’m looking for one of the pieces your father collected. Bronze piece, about this big,” he said, demonstrating the size with his hands. Rey looked up from the shot glasses she was collecting. “With a hole in it. Off center. With a crystal in it. You know the one I mean?”

“Yeah, I know it.” 

She didn’t appear likely to elaborate as she picked up the tray, bringing it to the bar.

“Where’s Luke?”

Rey ignored him, piling the dirty glasses behind the bar.

So he repeated, a little more insistently, “Rey, where’s Luke?”

She took a deep, heaving breath and closed her eyes, Poe knowing what she was going to say a second before she actually said it. “Luke’s dead.”

His heart sank. Not for himself or for the job he’d been tasked with, but for Rey. Looking at her more closely, he realized she was barely hanging on, normally bright eyes dull and skin sallow, dark smudges under each eye.

“Rey, I’m sorry,” he said, trying to convey it all in the words. He was sorry about how he left. He was sorry about Luke. He was sorry she had to live with all this.

Next to him, Rey shook her head. “Do you know what you did to me? To my life?”

“All I can say is that I’m sorry, Rey.”

Without warning she chucked all the glasses off the tray in an impressive display of temper. “Well say it again!” 

“Sorry.”

But she was already walking away, clearing another one of the tables. “Yeah, everybody’s sorry. Luke was sorry for dragging me all over this earth looking for his little bits of junk. I’m sorry to still be stuck in this dive. Everybody’s sorry for something.”

He hated the way her voice sounded, bitter and sad and old, far too old for her 25 years. Though he maybe hated the fact that he had a hand in her sounding like that even more. 

But he pushed all those old feelings down, reminding himself what this was about. The greatest archaeological find in modern history. Finishing Luke’s life’s work. And, you know, saving the world from the Nazis in his spare time.

He put on his best all-business face. “It’s a worthless trinket, Rey. You gonna give it to me?”

“I don’t know where it is.” She was off ignoring him again. But just like she could cut through his bull, he could do the same for her.

She was lying. And not even very well.

“Ok, well maybe you could find it,” he said as politely as possible. Now he was getting angry. She was wasting his time, punishing him for a five-year old offense. Time to sweeten the deal. “For 3,000 bucks?”

That certainly piqued her curiosity. But she quickly schooled her face, not wanting to let on.

“Well, that may get me back. But not in style,” she said, all coy eyes and shy smiles. 

There was his Rey. Always knew how to drive a bargain. Especially from him. 

“I can get you another two once we’re back in the states.” He grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. “It’s important, Rey. Trust me.” 

Poe finished with a cocky smile, anticipating Rey’s next move enough to catch her fist before it hit his jaw this time. He stuffed a wad of cash into her hand.

Rey laughed, a sound that only meant danger for him. “Come back tomorrow.”

He stared into her eyes, sparkling once more in the firelight. This was the closest he’d been to her since the day he left all those years ago and he couldn’t help but feel his heart race. Though he told himself it was because of the fight and not the woman. And he almost believed it.

“Why?” he asked, his face mere inches from hers. He could count every freckle on her pale skin from here, watch every twitch of emotion pass over her face.

She smiled, the perfect bow of her lips stretching with the motion. “Because I said so.”

Oh, so she was toying with him. Wanted to see if she said jump, he’d ask how high. He let her go. 

She settled on one of the tables, watching as he walked toward the door. “See you tomorrow, Poe Dameron.”

He hesitated a second before the door, looking over his shoulder one last time. For all her bravado, Rey looked so small and sad perched on the edge of the table, her head hanging slightly when she thought he wasn’t looking. And he wanted to tell her, well, he wanted to tell her everything, the whole sordid tale. The men who had been after him. Luke’s concern for her safety. But something stopped him. Something always stopped him. 

At that, he pushed through the door and into the near blizzard outside, freezing in only his leather jacket. 

It was a short walk back to the little boarding house he was staying at, and he hunkered down, wrapping his arms around himself as he kept his head down. Nobody was out, not at this time of night in this type of weather, except him and another group of men who looked nothing like locals.

No, they were western, European by the looks of them, and they gave Poe a funny feeling when he passed. He shrugged it off. 

He had only taken another two steps when he realized where they were headed. Again, that feeling bubbled in his gut. Cautiously, Poe looked over his shoulder, watching them enter The Sky single file.

Nope. Something was off here.

He doubled back, leaning into the howling wind. 

As he drew closer, he could hear a commotion in the bar, hanging back by the door to assess the situation.

Three grown men held Rey back and still she struggled against their grip (atta girl), Poe seething to her handled so roughly. He unhooked the whip from his belt.

Thankfully, no one noticed him as he crept closer, watching the leader pull a hot iron out of the fire, making his way toward Rey.

Greasy black hair, pallid skin, a height taller than any man had a right to be, it could only be Kylo Ren, Hitler’s personal lapdog. Poe had heard stories of him, a true believer, his madness and dedication to the cause outpaced only by Hitler himself. Poe could kick himself. Of course there would be others after the medallion. He should never have left Rey alone.

“Tell me where it is,” Ren snarled, his voice surprisingly unaccented. Was this guy even German? 

“Go to hell,” snapped Rey, still pulling against her captors.

Poe hesitated. He had to time this just right.

Ren only smiled. “You know I can take whatever I want.” He brought the glowing brand up to Rey’s face, her eyes going wide.

Now.

Poe struck out with the whip, pulling the red-hot iron out of Ren’s hand. It hit the floor with a clatter, sliding into a corner a few feet away.

In the commotion, the men let Rey go, only to have Ren grab her to use as a human shield. Real classy there, buddy.

Thinking fast, Poe shot one of the henchmen, his return fire going into the ceiling. Rey used the distraction to wriggle her way out of Ren’s arms, taking cover behind the bar.

Behind him, the curtains caught fire.

Poe got off another shot before the goon with the sub-machine gun was shooting after him. Glass flew and bottles exploded, the gunfire hitting everything but its intended target. 

The fire spread from the curtains, up the walls and to the ceiling. A bit of flying debris sent burning logs sliding out of the fireplace, one of the men going up like a candle in the night. 

Poe took the opportunity to end him, one shot directly between the eyes.

The fire raged around them, Poe pinned behind a wall by bullets. He coughed into his sleeve, the air quickly becoming thick with smoke.

Watching as Rey knocked someone out with a burning log, Poe couldn’t help but take a second to be impressed. She always was resourceful.

That was his first, and only, mistake.

He was so distracted, he forgot there was a door behind him, one of Ren’s goons knocking him down from behind. 

The man dragged Poe to the bar, slamming him face down as Ren started a fire that spread quickly across the wooden top. Poe watched as the fire grew closer, lighting everything in its path. 

“Whiskey?” he managed to grit out to Rey as she crouched behind the bar. She handed him a bottle, Poe reaching it back to knock out the thug holding him down. 

But of course there was another, this one wrapping his hands around Poe’s throat. Could a man catch a break these days?

Thankfully, when Ren instructed the man next to him to shoot them both, the choker took offense, Poe able to get away while the two gunmen battled it out. But not for long.

Poe was locked into hand-to-hand with one of the men when a terrible scream went up, Ren dropping something into the fire before taking off toward the snow outside.

Poe finished off his foe with a chair, only to turn in enough time to see the last thug taking aim at him. A shot rang out. Poe looked down, trying to determine if he’d been hit, but the thug fell instead, revealing Rey standing behind him, gun raised.

They looked at each other for a long second, chests both heaving in the aftermath of the fight.

“My medallion!” shouted Rey a second later, taking off to pick the piece out of one of the fires rapidly spreading through the bar. Or what was left of the bar.

Seeing that the roof was about to fall, Poe tugged her away, dragging her by the arm until they were coughing and sputtering out in the snow, away from the ruins.

“Well, Dameron, at least you haven’t forgotten how to show a lady a good time!” she shouted above the roar of the wind and fire.

“You know, you’re really something!” he shouted right back, just about done with the day. He’d been slapped, punched, kicked, shot at, and nearly burned alive. “I saved your sorry hide no less than five times in there!”

“And I saved yours right back!” 

Well, she wasn’t wrong there.

But she wasn’t done with him yet. “And until I get back my $5,000, you’re gonna get more than you bargained for,” she said, holding up the medallion in one hand. “I’m your goddamn partner!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this says a one-shot, but would there be interest in me making this a multi-chapter fic? While this stuck mostly to the movie, I have some ideas on how to flesh this out in a fun, once a week, Friday adventure. Let me know if you'd like me continue this!
> 
> Update: This is now a multi-chapter fic updating on Fridays! Hope you come along for the ride!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey spend a final night in Nepal before heading out for the next leg of their adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who read and commented on this. I'm glad people like it enough to warrant a few more chapters as it's a ton of fun to write Poe as Indy. This is a scene I added to basically give me an excuse to shout: THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED.
> 
> Enjoy!

More than he bargained for. That was the understatement of the year, hell, maybe even the decade as they trekked back to his boarding house through the howling snow. Rey had dealt with the authorities deftly, sidestepping any difficult questions on instinct. He hadn’t asked her to lie, but she did so anyway, leaving out the presence of Ren and his men in the fire. They’d find out soon enough that there had been more people in the building, but by then he and Rey would be long gone.

Next to him, Rey was eerily quiet, all of her remaining worldly possessions able to fit into a small rucksack on her back. He felt bad about that, he really did. 

Until she opened her mouth. 

“So, who’d you piss off this time?”

Poe ground his teeth together. “I don’t know, I could ask you the same thing.”

“Oh-ho no. You brought those goons right to my door. This one has Poe Dameron written all over it. Spill it, Dameron. What did you just drag me into?”

She wasn’t wrong there. And he supposed she did deserve his honesty.

“The Ark of the Covenant,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t think Ren would come after them again so soon, especially without backup, but there was no point in broadcasting the knowledge. “We think the Nazis found Tanis.”

“The Ark? Nazis?” Rey practically shouted, her eyes going wide. “You’ve got Nazis after me?”

Poe closed his eyes and took a deep breath as they came up on the house. “Yes, and do you mind keeping your voice down? The entire world doesn’t need to know.” They walked through the front door, finding the proprietor standing at what passed for the front desk. “Let me do the talking.”

Rey gave an exaggerated eye roll, but let him take the lead.

“We need a second room for the night,” said Poe, talking extra slow. The man barely had any English, but he’d been able to secure his room earlier with no problem. “For my friend.”

The man just stared at him blankly.

“Room. For the night. For the lady.” Poe said, even slower.

This time, the man looked to Rey.

She rattled off a few words in the language she’d spoken earlier in the bar, getting a swift answer from the man. She turned to Poe, a smug look on her face. “Still want me to let you do the talking?”

“Just tell me what he said.”

“Inn’s full. You got the last room,” she said, looking like the cat that got the canary. “Looks like we’re bunking together.”

Poe immediately started sputtering. “But.. There has to be.. What?”

Ignoring him, Rey got the key from the owner, leading Poe up the stairs and back to Room 3. 

“Rey, wait, are you sure…”

She continued to ignore him, turning the key with a flourish and opening the door.

“Oh,” she said, looking at the room for the first time.

The room was small, but fairly well-appointed for the location. A passable dresser sat against one wall, with Poe’s suitcase splayed open on top and a fairly beat-up chair next to it. The small nightstand contained a clock. But Rey’s eyes were locked on the bed. The single bed.

Why she was surprised, he didn’t know. Was she expecting the Ritz or something?

But his Rey had always been adaptable. She’d camped out with them in the desert, roughed it in more than one ancient jungle, and even lived out of a car at one time if he remembered correctly. He was certain she’d take this in stride.

“Right,” she said, fixing the look of shock on her face. “A little cozier than I imagined, but I’ve had worse.”

“Forgive me, I wasn’t exactly expecting company.” He followed her into the room, closing the door behind him. “I’ll sleep on the floor, it’s no problem,” he said, already anticipating how sore he’d be in the morning. Between the fighting and the floor, he’d barely be able to move tomorrow. He was getting too old for this, and it was starting to show. One thing, he’d like just one thing to go right this trip.

Rey immediately waved off his chivalry. “None of that. We both know we’ve shared a lot more than a bed, Dameron.”

Poe felt his face heat. “Well, there’s no need to put it quite like that.”

“Have I offended your delicate sensibilities?” she asked, a smile playing at her lips. She always had liked to tease him about how old fashioned he was.

But that wasn’t exactly the case here. “No, it just makes me feel like more of a cad than I already am.”

That wiped the smirk off her face. Her expression softened. “Poe…”

Fortunately, now was not the time to go down that path. They had a scant few hours before they’d need to be back on a plane, and he’d like to get a couple hours of shut-eye in the meantime. 

“Right, so the shower’s just down the hall,” he said, ignoring the plea in her eyes. If he was going to make it out of this alive, he needed to put a little distance between them. “Towels are in there. If you wanna go first, maybe there’s some hot water left.”

Rey held steady, her gaze burning into his skin. But Poe wouldn’t look up, couldn’t look up, not when he knew that one glance at those hazel eyes and all his resolve would instantly vanish.

She sighed. “Of course. I’ll do that.” Without another word, she picked up the rucksack and traipsed down the hall, leaving Poe to his thoughts.

When he was sure she was securely in the bathroom, he cracked the door, keeping one ear trained on the hall and the soft sounds of the shower drifting down it. He didn’t think anyone would come after them tonight, but just in case. 

How had he gotten himself into this mess? Barely three days into it, and already the whole job was off the rails.

Of course, he’d expected to see Rey. There was no way to avoid it if he was seeking out Luke. And here, he thought that he’d braced himself for it. What a joke. There was no way to brace yourself for the storm that was Rey Skywalker.

Then again, Poe hadn’t exactly prepared for a single bed and a new partner. 

Rey chose that moment to clomp back into the room, hair wet and filthy clothes back on, barely five minutes after she left. It was one of the things he loved - err, admired - about her. She wasn’t fussy.

He took one look at the sooty, sweaty blouse and blurted, “You aren’t gonna wear that to bed, are you?”

Rey smirked, running the towel through her hair. “Sorry, to disappoint, Dameron, but I seem to have left all my negligees in the burning building.”

Rolling his eyes, Poe marched over to his suitcase, pulling out a matching set of pajamas, in blue silk no less, and shoving them into her arms. “Here. So we aren’t both sleeping in soot tonight.”

She blinked at the simple gesture, like she wasn’t used to any small bit of kindness. These past few years must have been rough. He pretended not to notice.

“And what will you wear?” she asked, recovering quickly. A smirk played once more across her lips.

Poe grabbed his kit, heading for the door. “I think we both know I’m more than happy to sleep in just my shorts.”

He stayed just long enough to watch the pretty blush bloom on her cheeks before popping out into the hallway.

Checkmate.

But it certainly didn’t feel like winning as he stood under lukewarm spray, rinsing off the sweat and dirt and soot of the day. 

They couldn’t keep up like this. He couldn’t keep up like this. There was enough to worry about with the Nazis hot on their tail, he couldn’t fight Rey every step of the way as well. If they were going to do this, they needed to present a united front.

He practiced the words over and over as he stepped into fresh shorts and towelled off his curls, slipping a clean undershirt over his head before striding back to the room.

He came in, guns ablazing. “Rey, listen, as much as I love going three rounds with you…” he trailed off, a snore from Rey taking the wind right out of his sails. Asleep. She was out like a light. Poe chuckled to himself, lowering his voice so as not to wake her. “We gotta work together on this.”

Tomorrow then. He’d call the truce tomorrow.

God, she looked so young sleeping there, absolutely drowning in his pajamas, the years melting away until he was back in that small flat in London five years ago, his heart in a million pieces as he set the letter on the nightstand. He still wasn’t sure how he found the strength to do it, to leave her without so much as a goodbye. But he had, and he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

Poe shoved all that down. It did him no good to ruminate on his mistakes now. The damage had already been done. Now, he just had to live with it.

With a sigh, he slid into bed, trying his best not to wake the sleeping woman next to him. Rey murmured something, her voice soft in sleep, before turning her back to him.

This was gonna be a long night.

_ Sweat poured off Poe’s brow, steam rising from the pits below. All around him, flames burned high, the constant chanting getting into his head. _

_ Bound by iron to a cage, Poe couldn’t move as Mola Ram drew closer, the chanting reaching a fever pitch. Poe’s heart picked up, the beat pounding in his ears as the ancient words were spoken, the high priest’s hand hovering over his chest before punching through the skin… _

Poe woke with a gasp, his heart racing. A dream, it had only been a dream.

He started again as he felt an actual hand over his heart, looking down to find Rey’s delicate fingers spread on his shirt, dark hair fanned out against the white with her head resting comfortably on his chest. Well that explained a lot.

Rey’s eyes popped open in that moment, blinking as she realized where she was. In bed, tucked under his arm. She scrambled back over to her side of the bed.

“Everything okay?” she asked, taking in whatever vestiges of the dream were left on his face. She always had the uncanny ability to read him like a book.

He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Yeah, just a bad dream.” Looking over at the clock on the nightstand, he let out a heavy sigh. “We should probably get going if we want on the first flight out of here.”

“Of course,” she said, her eyes watching him carefully. “Where are we going, anyway?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for reading! Drop a line and let me know what you think.
> 
> Up next: Cairo!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey travel to Cairo to meet with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a few weeks. Three to be exact. But I'm back! I'm hoping to update this more frequently now that I've gotten over a rather serious block. So I hope you enjoy!

The trip to Cairo took nearly a full day, Rey spending most of it asleep on his shoulder. They’d found her some new clothes along the way, something she’d be comfortable in, at least until they got to Egypt. The markets there would be full of clothes to replenish her dwindling stash.

As they flew over Iraq and headed toward their final destination, Poe couldn’t help but take stock of his current situation. There was something so right about the warm weight of Rey against his shoulder, her soft snores nestling somewhere deep in his chest. He’d missed this. He’d missed her. All these years it had felt like something was off, some piece of him gone. It had been Rey all along.

But he supposed that deep down he’d known that. Why else had he kept moving, on to the next side kick, the next pretty woman, the next adventure. He’d been running from this very knowledge, never able to settle down for more than a passing minute, even after the main threat against Rey had been thwarted. What the hell was he so afraid of?

Next to him, Rey shifted, burying her face further in his shoulder.

Right. It was this. Getting cozy only to have Rey ripped from him again. There was no shortage of men who would use her against him. Hell, he’d brought Kylo Ren to her door not even two days ago! And they’d both almost died in the fight. It was some stroke of luck that had sent the madman running, but Poe held no illusions that he’d give up so easily. They’d be seeing Ren again.

All the more reason to find the Ark, get this over with, and get back to the states. Rey would be safe, and he’d be… well, free. Able to teach his classes and find his relics in peace. No more worrying about wayward ladies with dark hair and bright eyes and freckles splashed across pale skin that scrunched when she laughed.

Looking down at the woman who met that exact description, Poe found himself feeling a little empty at the thought. And choosing not to examine that feeling any further.

Soon enough they were landing, Rey jostling awake as the wheels touched down. She looked at him, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Did I sleep the whole time?” she asked, a yawn stretching her face. “I barely even remember switching planes.”

Poe smiled at the memory. “Pretty much. Nearly had to carry you, but we made it.”

They stood along with everyone else, finding luggage and stretching legs and getting ready to deplane.

“You should have woken me.” She gave him a playful swat, their earlier truce holding firm.

They’d been waiting for the plane in Karachi when he’d finally gotten the words out, the two of them agreeing to a ceasefire for as long as it took to find the Ark. To her credit, Rey had dropped the anger and cool indifference immediately, almost like it was an act in the first place. Or maybe this was the act? He dropped that line of thinking. It made his head hurt.

Instead, he smirked at Rey. “And lose my peace and quiet? Never.”

That earned him a swat for real, and Poe laughed. “In all seriousness, it looked like you needed it more than me.” Not that he hadn’t slept his fair share during the trip. Just that it had been a lot less than Rey.

She simply looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time for a second before they were lining up to exit the plane.

It was a good 5 km to the city, but Poe had no trouble hiring them a car. He’d sent a telegram ahead to his good friend, Finn, who’d taken care of all the arrangements.

Rey sighed as they entered the city, passing the shops and stalls and houses as they made their way through narrow streets. 

“What?” he asked, genuinely curious. It wasn’t like any of this was new. They’d both been to Cairo plenty, even together at one point.

“It still looks exactly the same.”

“It’s only been, what, six years?” Poe laughed, trying not to think about that particular trip, when they’d spent the entire night under the stars…

Rey smirked, like she was thinking of that same night. “Actually, three for me.”

Right. She’d been on plenty of adventures without him these past years. He’d do well to remember that.

“Right.”

“I’d just forgotten how much I hate sand.”

Poe couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that. A rather awkward memory from the morning after that night spent under the stars. Sand really got  _ everywhere _ .

Rey’s answering smile was even brighter than the Cairo sun.

The car dropped them on a busy main road, just a few streets away from where they were set to meet Finn. Poe tried to pay the driver, but the man insisted it was taken care of. He’d have to thank Finn.

Rey, in her dark blouse and stiff skirt, stuck out like a sore thumb here, and Poe’s first order of business was getting her a new outfit. 

The all-white getup really suited her, her dark hair shining in the mid-afternoon sun as she did a silly little spin for him. For once, her eyes were warm and bright, and that smile devoid of any sarcasm or mischief. Happy. She looked genuinely happy.

“We’ll take it,” said Poe, happily forking over the cash. He told himself it was because he was the reason she had no clothes in the first place. Nothing to do with the way she’d started to look at him over the journey.

They made it to the meeting spot just in time.

Finn was already waiting for them, his arms opening wide as soon as he laid eyes on Poe. “Welcome, welcome my old friend,” he said, embracing Poe. He turned to Rey. “And the always lovely Rey Skywalker. I’ll confess, I was surprised to hear you two were, err, working together again.”

Rey smiled, accepting her own greeting. “I think it surprised us all.” When she met Poe’s eyes a second later, they practically sparkled in the harsh sun, a bit of that old mischief back. 

Some long-forgotten feeling roused in Poe at that look, making his veins go molten for a second.

But Finn was talking. “Come, come, let’s get you out of this sun,” he said, leading them down the street to a well-appointed house. “Rose will be so happy to see you two.”

Poe was grateful for the shade and the drinks provided, if only to cool his blood for a second. He wasn’t sure what had come over him out there, but it wasn’t good. They needed to focus on the task at hand, not share loaded glances over the shoulder of old friends. 

“Come now,” Finn said after a spell, “let me show you the view.”

He took them up, up, to the roof of the house overlooking the city. It was beautiful up here, all potted plants and comfortable furniture, while a wooden trellis provided shade over one section. Not to mention the view.

The roof overlooked the entire city, Cairo stretching before them in its pale magnificence. 

Poe hung back near the shade to watch as Rey walked to the edge of the veranda.

“Cairo,” announced Finn in his booming voice, “the city of the living. A paradise on Earth.”

Poe couldn’t help but smile at the look of soft wonder on Rey’s face as she gazed out across the bustling city, admiring the dip of her waist and the curve of her hips in the new dress. Yes, it was quite the view, indeed.

Laughter drew his attention to the veritable gaggle of children gathered around a table, most or all of which belonged to Finn and his wife, Rose. When they’d moved to Cairo a few years ago, they’d started taking in children and never stopped. They had quite the family now, including two of their own.

Upon closer inspection, a monkey played on the table, the kids screaming as he posed and smiled for them, knocking over a bowl of fruit in the process.

A scream drew Rose to the table. “What’s going on here?” She looked down as the monkey knocked over a glass of juice. “Where did this come from?”

No one had an answer for her, but Rey and Finn joined them around the table, watching as the little guy put on a show. 

Without warning, the monkey leapt onto Rey’s arm, her scream not one of delight as it found a home on her slim shoulders. 

“Cute,” she said, obviously not meaning a word of it. “What an adorable creature.”

Rose smiled as the monkey made itself more comfortable, walking from one shoulder to the other before settling with its face next to Rey’s. “Then it shall be welcomed in our house.”

Poe had to laugh at the look of abject horror on Rey’s face. It seemed her feelings hadn’t changed over the years.

“Oh,” she said, panic in her voice. She had the monkey’s tail in her hand to try and stop it from moving around too much. “Please, you don’t have to keep it around just for me. Really.”

While there was certainly no love lost between Poe and monkeys, Rey hated them with the kind of passion she generally reserved for him. Or at least she had. Now, he wasn’t so sure. About how she felt for him. She definitely still hated the monkeys.

He caught her eye, smiling as he remembered the incident down in South America, when a small group of monkeys invaded their camp and interrupted them right before they...

Rey returned the smile with a wry look of her own, that spark in her eyes telling him her mind had gone to the exact same place. She bit her lip as she turned, the monkey still on her shoulders, joining Rose over in the shade to give Poe and Finn a minute to talk. 

He watched her join the children in their games with no little interest, Finn giving him a knowing look when he finally got Poe’s attention.

Finn cleared his throat. “So, you and Rey...”

“Are strictly in business together,” said Poe, finishing that thought for him. “Temporarily.” 

The look on Finn’s face indicated exactly how little he believed that, but thankfully he made no comment. “And what can I do for you two?”

“I knew the Germans would hire you for this. You’re the best digger in Egypt. Tell me about the site.”

“They’ve hired every strong back in Cairo and pay them pennies. The excavation is enormous, and they allow me on the site, but my services are entirely inconsequential to them. They certainly have taken none of my advice to date.”

Sounded like the Germans all right. “When did they find the map room?”

“Three days ago. I’m telling you, there isn’t one brain among them. They have no idea what they’ve discovered.” Finn seemed to be getting angry just thinking about it. “Except one. He’s very clever. A French archaeologist if I’m not mistaken. They call him… something with T…”

Poe tried not to laugh. “Terex?”

“Yes!” said Finn, taking a sip of the water Rose had left on the table. “That’s it. Wait, why are you laughing?”

Poe was practically doubled over, wheezing with laughter. Of course it would be Terex. Would the man haunt every job from now to eternity? It took him a full minute to get enough breath to answer, “Oh, we go way back.”

And Finn was right, Terex was too clever by half. If he was in charge of the excavation, the Nazis had a shot after all. 

Finn seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “The Germans have a great advantage over us. They are very close to finding the Well of Souls.”

“Not without this, they won’t,” he said, pulling the medallion out of a pocket. Rey had given it to him somewhere over Iran, trusting him not to double cross her. He never would, but he appreciated the confidence either way. “Do you know anyone who could tell us about these markings?”

Poe handed the medallion over to Finn, the other man examining it with a practiced eye. Of all people, Finn could appreciate an artifact of this importance, and he did, turning it over in his hands as he scrutinized the etchings. 

“I know a man. Perhaps he’d be willing to help us,” said Finn, his expression darkening before he handed back the piece. “Poe, there’s something that troubles me about all this.”

“What?”

“The Ark. If it really is in Tanis, then it is something man was not meant to disturb. Death has always surrounded it. It is not of this Earth.”

That sounded like a lot of mumbo jumbo to Poe. But he wasn’t about to say that to the man in front of him, not when Finn was a true believer of the Ark’s power. “And that, my friend, is exactly why we need to get to it first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this says a one-shot, but would there be interest in me making this a multi-chapter fic? While this stuck mostly to the movie, I have some ideas on how to flesh this out in a fun, once a week, Friday adventure. Let me know if you'd like me continue this!
> 
> Update: This is now a multi-chapter fic updating on Fridays! Hope you come along for the ride!


End file.
